Generation P

"Generation P," an audacious, messy and sometimes inspired look at an out-of-work poet struggling to find his way in post-Communist Russia, plays like a metaphysical Moscow version of "Mad Men" - on acid.

It's apparent from the first frames that director Victor Ginzburg is full of creative plot twists, arresting images and serious thoughts, even if he doesn't successfully channel them into something resembling a story.

The manic proceedings begin as Babylen, our mushroom-loving hero, finds himself down and out amid the collapse of the Soviet Union. Before you can say "Don Draper," he unexpectedly finds a job as a copywriter for a sketchy advertising firm. His drug-induced ad ideas, some of which are amusing, make up a big chunk of the film.

But there is too much going on here. A parallel story about the media-manipulating Cult of Ishtar slows the movie down, not to mention an overabundance of political discourse, digital tricks and mob-world dealings.

Despite the problems, though, this is not an easy film to dismiss. There is a lot of ambition and talent on the screen, and some of the philosophical musings are thought-provoking.